Social Fragility in Muslim Societies, Fitnah, and Said Nursi’s Attitude against Fitnah

Abstract

Fragility refers to the situation between the balance/harmony and conflict/fragmentation of society. The types, causes, and consequences of fragility have been among the main topics of sociology for a long time. While a quarter of the world’s population lives in countries that are considered fragile, Muslim societies constitute the majority of this population. This situation requires examining the relationship between fitnah, which is a concept of Islamic thought, and fragility. In our study, this relationship was examined through Said Nursi’s attitude against fitnah. The period in which Nursi lived, the geography, the events he faced, and his works make him a unique model in such a study. In this respect, we hope that our study will contribute to the discussions in the literature on the subject.